I'm still here, I promise!

You may have been thinking that I dissapeared or gave up or maybe you haven't missed me at all. Regardless of what you may or may not have been thinking, I am still here I promise! I have not really felt like updating my blog because frankly, I haven't felt like I have had much to update you on. Don't get me wrong, the scale is not going up or anything but it is very SLOWLY inching down. The changes that I have seen in the last couple of months are so minimal that I haven't felt that they warrented a blogpost. I believe the last time I posted an update I was at 159 lbs, today  my weight is sitting at 148 which sounds like a big difference now that I am seeing it in writing. However, I have been sitting at that 148 for about 2 weeks now. I am still working out and sticking to my calories but I have not been putting my all into it like I was before. I got sick around Thanksgiving and missed a week and a half of working out, and motivating myself for workouts has been a struggle ever since. I am getting over yet another sickness now, but this one only kept me from the gym for about two days. I am still not feeling 100% but I have been forcing myself to workout anyway. I don't know what it is, I just feel like I have lost my umph and I really need to find it again. I have allowed myself to snack more through the holiday season than I planned to, and even though I haven't seen a gain I am sure that it has affected my progress. I haven't seen many changes in my inches in over a month now, and I just overall have the weight loss blues. I am telling you all of this because I really feel like this blog was a huge part of my motivation before and I need that again. I want to help people get a glimpse into a true weight loss experience, but this blog has helped me more than I could have ever imagined. I am making a couple of changes this week to try and kick my butt back into gear. I only have 3 lbs to go to reach my goal weight but I still have quite a bit of toning up to do. I am finally starting to see some definition in my arms and legs, but I am still working on my tummy. I have been doing lots of core work, and I am seeing some changes but I still have work to do there. I am determined to get my motivation back and get finally get the body I have been dreaming of. I said all of that to really just say this, I am back!

Thanks for reading,

Sarah

Tips for Transitional Clothes

If you have ever lost weight or even gained weight, you will know about buying transitional clothes. Transitional clothes are clothes that you know that you will not be in for very long for one reason or another. It could be that you are losing weight and you don't want to buy a whole wardrobe because you still have some to lose. That is the boat that I am currently in. It could also be that your clothes are getting a little tight, but you plan on losing weight. I have been in that boat as well. Whatever the reason may be, no one wants to spend a fortune on clothes that will last them less than 3 months. Over the course of my weight loss I feel like I have gained some experience in the art of buying transitional clothes, and now I would like to share my tips with you.

 

1.) Don't be ashamed to shop at a Thrift Store. Some people may cringe at the thought of purchasing used clothing, but the fact of the matter is you can score some good finds. I will admit, when thrift store shopping you will likely have to wade through lots of junk. Keep at it though because there are gems to be found! Be picky when you are shopping at the thrift store. Search for things that look like they have been well cared for. Today when I went to Goodwill, I was able to get 2 pair of dress pants from Ann Taylor Loft, a pair of dress pants from New York & Company, and a pencil skirt from Banana Republic all for $16.00.

 

2.) Buy items that you can mix and match. When you are purchasing items from a regular store, look for items that you can wear lots of different ways. Don't buy a shirt that only looks good with a certain pair of pants. Look for shirts that you can pair with dress pants, jeans, and skirts. Look for items that you can dress up or down depending on your accesories. Try to get items that will be as versatile as possible.

 

3.) Look for items that you can still utilize even when they are too big. This obviously applies more to tops. I can't think of any situation in which wearing pants that are too big for you sounds like a good idea. Look for tops that you can pair a belt around the waist with when they get loose. Look for sweaters that you can wear with skinny jeans and boots when they get a little baggy. Try to think long term, especially for items that you are spending decent money on.

 

Hopefully these tips and tricks will help you in your quest to find transitional clothes. If you have your own tips, feel free to leave them in the comments below!

 

Thanks for reading,

Sarah

Staying on Track While Celebrating.

Yesterday was my 26th birthday! I had a brief thought yesterday morning to just go crazy for one day and not worry about calories or exercise. It was a very brief thought. If you read my blog post about the weight I lost last year, you'll know that veering from the plan usually does not work for me. I am in a much better position to be disciplined than I was at that point. I am sure that I could have treated myself for the day and picked everything right back up today. I am not just on a "diet" this time. I have completely changed my lifestyle. So, yes it probably would not have been a huge setback. The reason that I mainained my calories (even on my birthday) was all because of a notifcation on "MyFitnessPal". The day before my birthday, I recieved a notification on MyFitnessPal that said, "SarahBabb has logged in for 200 days in a row!". 200 days is a long time. It doesn't specify this, but I have also never gone over my calories in 200 days. I decided that it would be an awesome thing to be able to say that I made it from start to finish of reaching my goal weight without going over my calories once. I am so close to the end that I can easily make it to my goal and still be able to say that. It is just a pride thing at this point.

Realistically, when I reach my goal weight there will be days here and there that I go over my calories. At that point, I will just be maintaining my weight. I will be eating around 1600 calories per day verses the 1200 that I have grown accustomed to. That will be very doable for me since I am so used to having 1200. However, at that point I will be doing things a little differently. If I go to a superbowl party and feel like having a few wings, I am going to. I will allow myself to splurge occasionally. "Occasionally" is the key word there. Obviously if I allow myself 3 splurge days per week, it won't take me long to start putting weight back on. One splurge day every other week or as special occasions come up is very reasonable though. I will have to retrain myself that it is ok to indulge sometimes. I just can't make a habit of it. I have a feeling that when I am done, I am going to struggle with food a little bit. What I mean by that is that if I do splurge and have a slice of pizza, I'm afraid that I will feel like I will immediately gain five pounds. It will be a new learning process of still saying no most of the time, but allowing a yes every now and again.

For now though, it is still time to be strict. Especially since the end is so within reach. In March losing 75 pounds seemed so far away and unobtainable. Now it is right there, and all I have to do is keep it up for a little while longer. Don't feel bad for me though, I still enjoyed some frozen yogurt at Sweet CeCe's for my birthday last night. There are still ways to indulge within your limits. There are ways to stay on track without feeling deprived. It is all about figuring out what works for you and being able to admit what doesn't work for you. What works for me might not work for you and vice versa. Experiment, and learn from your mistakes. That's what it finally took for me to be successful!

Thanks for reading,

Sarah

I DID IT!!!

I am very excited to tell you that I finally was able to run 3.14 miles in under 35 minutes! I really wanted to be able to hit that time for my 5K on September 29, but it just wasn't in the cards. I have ran several times since then, but on Saturday I decided to take another swing at the 5K distance. I took a different approach with this run and ran it in 3:1 intervals, meaning that I ran 3 minutes then walked 1 minute for the entire distance. I have to say, I really enjoy running this way. I was able to give it my all for that three minutes and just when I felt like I was running out of gas, I got to walk. That one minute walk was just enough to catch my breath, and by the time it was time to run again I was ready to go! I ended up running the full 5K distance in 34:45. There was no crowd cheering me in, but that didn't matter to me. I felt so proud that I had accomplished what I set out to do. Since I had proved to myself that I could run an entire three miles without walking, I no longer felt pressure to do it without walking. Brandon was asleep but I just had to tell someone, so I called my mom and we celebrated over the phone. I got home, and I immediately thought of my old Cross Country coach. I knew that she would be proud of me, even if it did take me 10 years to finally get the time she wanted from me. I decided to send her a message on Facebook, and this is what I told her:

Hey Mrs.               ,

I know you are wondering why in the world I am messaging you, but I wanted to tell you something that I hope makes you smile. I am Sarah Babb now, but I used to be Sarah Tucker when I ran cross country for you. You might not even remember me being on the team because I only did it for one year and frankly I sucked at it. I only sucked at it because I didn't try and I walked a large portion of the races. You used to always tell me that if I would just put forth an effort that I could easily finish my races in under 35 minutes. That is an effort that I unfortunately never gave you. I carried that same "not trying" mentality for a good portion of my life. I gained a significant amount of weight and on March 21, 2013 I hit my highest weight of 219 lbs. on March 22, 2013 I started the journey that has changed my life. I decided that I wanted to start running and losing weight. I had tried to lose weight before and failed many times, but this time I did it the right way. I changed my entire lifestyle. When I began running I could not run more than 30 seconds at a time. I have now lost 60 lbs and I am 15 lbs away from my goal weight of 145 which is what I weighed in high school. I wanted to let you know that I have finally put forth the effort, and I finally ran 3.14 miles in under 35 minutes. It took me a long time, but I wanted you to know that I finally did it! You were a huge part of my motivation and you didn't even know it. I just wanted you to know that you made a difference in my life.

With much thanks,
Sarah

I have not received a response from her yet, but I know that she will be thrilled. This whole thing has showed me that putting the pressure on is not always a good thing. It is good to set goals that will push you, but don't put so much pressure on yourself that you end up hindering yourself. Saturday was my best run yet, and I know that it was because there was no pressure. I was just running for me. I wasn't trying to keep up with anyone, I wasn't worried about feeling like a failure if I walked. I really wasn't even concerned with completing in a certain time to be honest. I was just running for me. I was running because I lead a healthy lifestyle now, and running gives me an incredible high. Causing yourself stress over losing weight kind of defeats the point. Stress causes your body to store fat making it very difficult to lose weight. You have to find a happy medium between being disciplined and stressing out. Keep that in mind if you are attempting to lose weight yourself. Don't be too hard on yourself. That is definitely a lesson that I am having to learn myself.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah

Weigh In Number 8!

It is good to be back, but we did have an AMAZING vacation. We were a little worried with reports of a hurricane, but we ended up having perfect weather. It was so nice to have 4 days on the beach with nothing scheduled, surrounded by the ones I love. I was spoiled with an amazing view, and I took full advantage of it by getting in LOTS of reading time. I did work out every single day but this time I had a partner! My wonderful mother got up with me at 7:30 every single morning to work out with me. She is so supportive of my weight loss. It was really nice to have that time every day for just the two of us. I only live an hour and a half from my family, but I do not get to see them as much as I like so this trip was a breath of fresh air. I stuck to my calories, and you will be happy to know that I did still lose while on vacation. Now that I have updated you with that, it is time to update you with my weight. At my last weigh in I weighed 165.6, and today I weighed in at 159.2. That is a loss of 6.4 lbs, and that brings me to a total loss of 60.4 lbs. That means that I am only 14.2 lbs away from my overall goal of 145 lbs! If you have paid attention to my last couple of weigh ins, you have probably noticed that my weight loss has slowed down some. That is to be expected at this point, but I am determined to reach my goal before the end of the year. Two and a half months sounds like a very realistic time frame to lose 14 lbs, but since this is the last bit of weight I have to lose it is more difficult. My weight loss has slowed from over 10 lbs a month to right around 5 lbs a month. I am going to have to really up my game if I want to reach my goal before December 31st, and believe me I am determined to. Now for the measurements. I have decided to no longer include my neck measurements since they have not changed in several weeks. I have a long, slim neck as it is and it is obvious that I have no more weight to lose there.


                                Starting                     Last Weigh In                   Current      

Thighs:                       28                            R-21, L-21.5                        B-21

Arms:                        14.5                               B-11.5                            B-11.5

Belly:                          40                                    33                                   31

Waist:                       35.5                                   28                                   27

Chest:                         43                                    37                                   36

Hips:                           44                                    37                                   36

Butt:                           47                                    39                                   38


            Inches This Weigh In: 6.5                   Total Inches: 72

My losses may be slowing down but as long as those pounds and inches are going down, I will be happy. I have tried to show you all the ups and downs of this process. I don't want you to think that because I haven't had a day or a week where I just blew it, that this process has been a walk in the park. Just because I haven't had to post a gain, doesn't mean that I haven't had days when I just wanted to quit. I actually had a couple day pity party when we got back from vacation, and it is the closest that I have come in the past 6 and a half months to quitting. I normally give myself at least 2 days after a vacation to get everything back in order and ease myself back into normal life. However, because of a lack of vacation time I was unable to do that this trip. We drove back on Wednesday and I had to go back to work on Thursday. I tried to get up at 5:30 Thursday morning for my workout and I just could not do it. All day I felt like eating awful food, and I had plenty of opportunities because there is always junk food at work. I made it through the day without blowing my calories, but when I got off I really did not feel like going to the gym. I realized that I forgot the lock to my locker and immediately talked myself out of going. I did do insanity when I got home, but I have never put less effort into a workout. My mind was just not in it. I woke up again at 5:30 on Friday morning for gym time, and I physically could not force myself out of bed to go. I had loss every ounce of my motivation, and I have no idea why. I did not do a workout at all on Friday even though I had already had my rest day for the week. I have no idea where that slump came from, and to be honest with you I still feel like I am clawing my way out of it. I can tell you with assurance though, that I am NOT giving up. I have come too far to give up now. I am just having to keep my eyes on that end, and I am closer now than I ever have been. It gets tough sometimes, but being over weight and miserable is tough too. I am choosing my tough, and I choose to keep going! I hope you will too!

Thanks for reading,
Sarah

Vacation Time Again

It is rare that we take two trips this closely together, but we are leaving for vacation again tomorrow. I am very excited about this trip for several reasons. My husband's family lives in Michigan, so when we get time off that is where we go. We always have a blast when we go there, but we haven't been on a vacation that wasn't to Michigan since 2010. It will be nice to have a change of scenery. We are also going on this trip with my family. My parents, my brother, his wife, and my two nieces will all be there. We have never done a trip with all of us, so I am definitely looking forward to that. Lastly, my family did not have a great deal of money when I was growing up. My father was a pastor and an appliance repairman, and my mother was a stay at home mom, going to school to become a teacher. (She has been a teacher for more than 15 years now.) There were families that were in a much tighter spot than us, but generally vacations were not a luxury that we got to enjoy. Our grandparents had a camp on a river in Alabama, so we got to enjoy that a couple of times per summer. We loved going there, and we definitely did not feel deprived. One summer my parents decided that even though money was tight, they were going to take us on a real vacation. They had both grown up traveling quite a bit, and it was important to them that we got to experience a trip like the ones they grew up enjoying. They really did not have the money to do so, but they took us on a trip to Gulf Shores. I was 7 and my brother was 10, and that is still the trip that I look back on with the most nostalgia. We had such a good time, and it is absolutely one of my fondest memories. My parents are in a much better place now, my dad is still a pastor and he is a school custodian as well. My mother is a 3rd grade teacher, and she was voted teacher of the year last year. They wanted a chance to take us on another family vacation, only this time with the addition of my husband, my sister-in-law and my two nieces. Gulf Shores was the obvious choice because it holds such a special place in our hearts. I will not be posting while I am there. I am just going to enjoy my family for a couple of days.

I will however, let you in on how I plan to stay on track. I plan to prepare the same way that I did for our last trip. I am taking workout gear with me, and I will be working out every day. We are staying in a condo that has a kitchen so I won't have to worry about fast food as much. We plan on eating breakfast and lunch at the condo, and will be eating out for dinner. This works great for me because it means that I can stick to my normal routine for breakfast and lunch. Since we are only eating out for dinner, I won't have to worry about fast food meaning that I will have much more options. The only time I will have to deal with fast food will be on the trip down and the trip home. I have my list of fast food meal options so I should be fine for those few meals. I wanted to do most of my workouts outside, but it is looking like we might have to contend with some rainy days while we are there. The condo that we are staying at has a gym, so I have no excuses to not workout. Hopefully I might even be able to get someone in my family to do a couple of workouts with me! My weigh in should be this Saturday, but I will plan on posting that when we get back. I hope you all have a great weekend. I know I will!

Thanks for reading,

Sarah

Race Day Update

I apologize for not posting this yesterday, but it was a crazy day. My parents ended up coming to visit to watch me run, so I spent the day with them. I know you are all wanting an update, so here it is. I finished the complete race without walking, I did not however make my goal of 35 minutes. I ended up finishing in 38:17. I was extremely dissapointed at first, so much so that I could not even be proud of myself for running the entire thing. I crossed the finish line and immediately burst into tears. I am sure that my husband and my parents thought I was having a mental breakdown, because it was not pretty. It was such an emotional day for me anyway because when I first started my blog my original goal was to complete a 5K without walking in under 40 minutes. I had done that, and I was emotional because of that. Then I had put this added pressure of completing the race in under 35 minutes, and when I was unable to reach that goal I felt like a huge failure. I felt like everyone would be dissapointed in me, but I was very wrong. My family was so proud of me for even attempting the race. They were even more proud to know that I did it without walking. Slowly throughout the day I was able to process more and more, and I eventually came around to feeling proud of myself. When I first started this journey I was unable to start with couch to 5K because even the first day included running for 60 seconds at a time. I had to start with my own intervals, so I began with running sections of 30 seconds at a time. When I ran for those 30 second sections, I felt like I was going to die. I went from barely being able to run 30 seconds, to being able to run 38 minutes without stopping. I'd say that is something to be proud of!

 

With that being said, looking back there are a couple of things that I would have changed on race day. 1.) I would not have started out so fast. There were so many people, and at first I was so concerned when people were passing me that I was running at a much faster pace than I am used to. This caused me to pretty much run out of steam by mile one. I never walked, but my pace had majorly slowed at that point. For my next race I will definitely pace myself better. 2.) I would not have gotten water from the water station. I only reached for water once and I immediately regretted it. I tried to gulp the water while I was running and I ended up getting choked. I coughed for a good minute after taking that gulp of water. On top of that, the water was very cold and that was a shock to my system. Between the choking, and the cold it really threw off my breathing for a while, and I ended up getting a side stitch shortly after. I blame this comepletely on my decision to get water. 3.) I would have kept walking for a bit after I finished the race. I was in such an emotional tizzy that I just sat down and cried. I should have kept moving and I should have stretched afterwards because I am VERY sore today. I never get sore after runs, and now I know that this is due to the five minute cool down.

 

Now that I have done what I set out to do and I have run a 5K without walking, I am going to do my next 5K a little differently. I have gotten a better time than 38:17 when I was running intervals before, and I know that is because the running sections are full force because your body has had time to recover in between. I assumed that I would beat everyone who was running intervals because they were stopping to walk. I was very wrong, almost every person that I saw running intervals beat me. They weren't so spent that they had nothing left. They ran fast on their running sections, and they walked very briskly on their walking sections. I am doing the Susan Komen 5K on October 26 and I think that I am going to run that one in intervals. Running 3 minutes and walking 1 minute. I have proven to myself that I can do it without walking, so now my sole concern is improving my time even if I do it by running intervals.

 

I really apprecite you coming back to check on my progress. You were all on my mind while I was running yesterday. I hope to be able to post a better time with each race that I do. Below are some pictures from race day. The first is a before race and after race picture and the second is my bib number. Thank you again for always coming back, your support means the world to me.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah

I've been keeping a secret.

I have let you guys into pretty much every aspect of my weightloss thus far. I do admit that I have been keeping a secret from you though. I have registered and will be running my first 5K (without walking) this Sunday, September 29. You might be asking yourself, "Why would she keep something like that a secret?" The answer is simple, I kept it a secret because I was afraid that I would fail. I did not want to announce this first 5K because I was afraid that I could not complete the entire 3.1 miles without walking. If I suceeded I was going to make a blogpost about it that included pictures of me smiling at the finish line, bursting with pride at my accomplishment. If I was not successful, I was just going to act like it never happened as far as you guys are concerned. I have obviously decided not to do that though. The whole purpose of me starting this blog was to hold myself accountable. I set out to let people see my successes and failures, all with the hopes of giving readers a realistic inspiration for their own weightloss. Also, I feel that if I kept this a secret that I would be making it easier on myself to fail. If no one knew that I was running a race to start with, they would never know that I had to walk. I want to know while I am running that when I am done, I will be reporting back to you. I think it will be a lot easier to keep myself going if I know that I will be updating you guys afterwards.

 

 I have prepared for this by doing the couch to 5K program. I am not quite finished with the program yet, but I do feel ready for this race. The farthest that I have run so far was 2.5 miles, but I am confident that I will be able to add that 0.6 miles and finish under my goal time. My original goal was to finish a 5K in under 40 minutes, but I am going to one up myself and strive to finish this race in under 35 minutes. I struggled about whether to tell you my new goal time, but I did not feel right keeping my goal time at a number that I wouldn't have to try hard for. My 35 minute goal time also has a specific meaning to me personally. I ran cross country in high shcool, but I only did it to condition myself for basketball. I did not care about running, therefore I did not put forth much effort. Mine and the times of the other girls conditioning for basketball did not count for the team's overall time. Since my time in the races didn't affect the team, I really didn't care how I placed so I didn't try. My cross country coach always told me that if I just put forth an effort, that I could easily complete each race in under 35 mintues. She knew that I wasn't trying, and she attempted all season to get that effort from me. That was an effort that I never gave her. I never finished a race in under 35 minutes because when I got tired, I walked. On Sunday, for the first time in a 5K, I am going to put forth 100% of my effort, and I fully intend on finishing this race in the time that I was too lazy to strive for in school. I hope that you will come back on Sunday to check on my progress, I look forward to updating you with good news. I CAN DO IT!

 

Thanks for reading,

Sarah

It's not all rainbows and sunshine.

Remeber when I said that I would post no matter what was going on, good or bad? My posts can't always be positive and peppy, because that is simply not reality. I want to give you a true glimpse into my weightloss journey, and the truth is I have been really down for close to two weeks now. I have mentioned that even though I do my official weigh ins once every three weeks, I usually weigh everyday. I have not really seen the scale budge much at all since my last weigh in and it is REALLY starting to get to me. I have known to expect this, but it is never easy to feel like your hard work is going to waste. I have been on this weightloss journey for 6 months now, and I have never gone over my calories, not even once. I work out 6 days a week, only taking a rest day at the request of my doctor. This wall that I am hitting is not for lack of effort on my part. I hit a small plateau like this a couple of months ago, and I got really depressed then too. I only have 20 more pounds to lose, and I know that I am going to have to fight harder for this 20 than I did for the first 55. I have to find a constructive way to get past this plateau. I have found myself cutting way back on my calories, which are already low considering how much I am working out. That is not the answer! I need to make sure that I am taking in enough calories to lose this weight the right way. I am thinking back to when I hit my last wall and how I got past that. I changed up my workouts and shocked my body. Maybe that is the course of action I should take this time as well. I need to make sure that I am adding in strength training, as a lot of this last bit of weight will come from toning up. Muscle burns fat, and I have to remember that instead of being in fear of bulking up. Have you ever hit a weightloss plateau? What are some suggestions that you have for getting through it? Feel free to leave a comment and give me some suggestions. I will take all the help I can get!

 

Thanks for reading,

Sarah

I'm not a bad person...

The title of this post might seem a little confusing, but I promise I have a point. I have never been a big shopper. I am not ashamed to admit that I am cheap. I don't have a problem spending money on other people, in fact I have been known to splurge quite a lot on my husband. I have never been able to spend money on myself though. I have always shopped on the sales racks, and I mostly shop out of necessity. It is rare that I just go out and shop for fun. My family did not have a great deal of money growing up, so this is just how I was raised. With that being said, I have had to do quite a bit of shopping lately because I HAVE NO CLOTHES! None of my clothes fit, and that is a very good thing. I am definitely shopping out of necessity, but I still can't get it out of my head that I am being bad. I have been buying a few things here and there, but no large haul as of yet. Every time I get home, I feel bad for spending money. Keep in mind that my husband is encouraging me to shop, so the guilt is all me. I am not used to spending so much money on myself, so this has definitely been an adjustment. The last couple of times that I have been shopping, I have been eyeing this leather moto jacket. I have tried it on several times, and I kept walking away. I couldn't justify spending $60 on something that I didn't absolutely need. I will need a jacket eventually, but not right now. Well, I went to JC Penney again last night for some necessities, and of course I came back to "the jacket". I ran into some friends while we were there, and they ended up talking me into getting it. As soon as I left the store, I immediately felt like a horrible person. I felt so bad for splurging on myself. I got home and showed Brandon my purchase, and told him I was thinking about taking it back. He had me try it on, and he told me that there was no way he was letting me take it back. I started thinking to myself, why do I feel so much guilt over $60. Do I feel like I am not worth that? I finally told myself that I have worked very hard for the last 6 months, and I deserve that jacket. It is something that I really wanted, and it was not an impulse buy. It was something that I kept coming back to. So, I have decided to treat myself and keep the jacket. I have also decided that I am not a bad person for doing so. I have attached a picture of me in the jacket, so feel free to let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading,
Sarah

Weigh In Number 7!

It seems like these weigh ins just keep coming faster and faster, but it is that time again. I do apologize for postponing the weigh in a week, but weighing while on my period is not my idea of fun. When I weighed 4 weeks ago, I weighed in at 172.4. This week, I weighed in at 165.6! That is a 6.8 weight loss for the month, and that puts me at 54 lbs lost over all! That's right, I have passed the 50 lb mark! Also, if you didn't see my milestones post, that also means that I now weigh less than I did on my wedding day. Just had to throw that in there! Now onto the measurements.


                                            Starting                     Last Weigh In                        Current

Thighs:                                    28                                   22                                R-21, L-21.5


Arms:                                     14.5                         R-12, L-11.5                      R-11.5, L-11.5


Neck:                                      13.5                                 12                                         12


Belly:                                        40                                  34                                         33


Waist:                                     35.5                                 29                                         28


Chest:                                       43                                  37                                         37


Hips:                                         44                                37.5                                        37


Butt:                                         47                                40.5                                        39


                                    Inches This Weigh In:  6                Total Inches: 65.5

While I am very happy with these results, I can definitely tell that my progress is slowing down. That is to be expected at this point, but still something that I am having to remind myself of. A 30 minute run on the elliptical used to burn about 550 calories for me since my heart rate usually sat at a very high 175. Now when I run 30 minutes on the elliptical my heart rate usually does not go above 130, which means I burn more like 300 calories. I know that it is a very good thing that my body is in much better shape, meaning that my heart rate stays at a much safer pace. It does mean however, that I have to work much harder for the calories that I burn. I backed off of the push ups quite a bit in the last couple of weeks because my shoulder was bothering me some, but I can tell by my arm measurements that I need to pick that back up this week. I am going to focus on arms and of course belly from now until my next weigh in. I am going to the beach on October 4th, so I am kicking the ab work into HIGH GEAR for the next couple of weeks! I hope you all have an amazing week!

Thanks for reading,
Sarah

No Weigh In Today

Sorry to disappoint, but there will be no weigh in today. It is once again that time of the month, and I am sure that if you are a woman you understand my reasoning. I do however still want to share a quick story with you. As you know, I am doing the couch to 5K program 3 days a week. I finished week 5 this week, and if you are familiar with the program than you might remember that there is quite a jump in distance in week 5. The interval for day 2 week 5 is to warm up with a 5 minute walk, run 8 minutes, walk 5 minutes, run 8 minutes and then cool down with a 5 minute walk. I did well on the first 8 minute segment, but towards the end of the second 8 minute segment I was very tired. I finished, but it was not easy for me. I looked on to the next day of couch to 5K and day 3 of week five was a 5 minute warm up walk, followed by 20 minutes of running with no walking at all. That was longer than both 8 minute segments that I had just ran put together. I immediately told myself that there was no way that I was ready for that. The next day that I ran, I decided to repeat day 2 of week five, and I got through it much easier. Still the thought of running 20 minutes straight was very daunting. I decided that I was going to try it, but I still had it in my mind that I wouldn't make it. I got up yesterday and ate breakfast, all the while with this run hanging over my head. While I was giving my breakfast time to digest, I decided to get on Pinterest. I started going through my fitness board and reading tons of motivational quotes. There were several that were talking about how your mind will limit you before your body will. I decided that no matter how much my body felt like I couldn't go on, that I wasn't going to let my mind get in the way. I got to the track as soon as the gym opened, so I ended up being the only person there. I am quite happy about that, because if anyone had been there they might have thought I was crazy. I started my warm up walk and I started telling myself (out loud) that my body was stronger than my mind would let me believe. I listened to a song that really pumped me up and by the time the voice spoke over my music telling me it was time to run, I was positive that I was going to be able to do it. 13 laps around my track is 2 miles, I knew I couldn't quite complete 2 miles in 20 minutes, but I decided to count down my laps from 13 anyway. Every time I got to my starting point, I would tap the rail and tell myself "12 left, 11 left!" and so on. I kept telling myself, "You can do anything for 20 minutes." I never let my mind tell that I was hurting, or that I couldn't make it. By constantly telling myself that I could do it, I never let my mind get in the way. Before I realized it, the voice spoke over my music telling me that my workout was over. I had completed 12 full laps, which means that I ran 1.84 miles at a pace of just under an 11 minute mile. Not once did I feel like I wouldn't be able to make it. Your mind can limit you, but it can also allow you to do great things. I was so happy as I was doing my cool down. I had just done something that seemed impossible to me, and I did it with ease. I know now that in 3 weeks when couch to 5K is over, that I will be running 3.1 miles with no trouble. I got a little emotional as I was doing that cool down lap, (I will blame that on being on my period) but I was proud of myself. Don't ever let your mind hold you back from doing something great. Your body is stronger than your mind would let you believe!

Thanks for reading,
Sarah

3 Milestones in 1 Day!

Milestones are great reminders along a journey that remind you just how close you are to your destination. Losing my first 20 lbs was a milestone for me. Weighing under 200 lbs was a milestone for me as well. It has been a while since I have been able to say that I reached a milestone, but Saturday made up for that because I hit 3 in one day! I do my official weigh ins once every three weeks, but I would be lying if I said that I don't weigh much more often that. I have been getting close to the 50 lb loss mark for a while now, so when I checked my weight on Saturday I was THRILLED to see 167.8 lbs. I skipped 50 lbs and went straight to 52 lbs! To me 50 lbs sounds like such a substantial amount of weight. I was on cloud nine already, and then I realized that because I was at 167 that I was also at the exact same weight that I weighed on my wedding day. Milestone number two! While it is true that I weighed more on my wedding day than I wanted to, I gained the majority of my weight after I got married. By reaching this particular weight I felt very rejuvenated. So again, I was on cloud nine and felt like I could not get much happier. Brandon works nights so he was sleeping during the day on Saturday, so I decided to get out of the house so that he could have some quiet. I needed a pair of capri's pretty badly so I decided to head to JC Penney. I have been in an 8 in dresses for a couple of weeks but I have still been in a 10 in jeans. I grabbed all of the options that I liked in size 10, and headed to the dressing room. They all fit good in the legs, but every single one was just a tad big in the waist. I knew I was setting myself up for disappointment, but I decided to try on an 8 in my favorite pair just to see. I could not believe my eyes when they fit perfectly! I stared in the mirror for a very long time to make sure that I wasn't just seeing what I wanted and not was really there. I even sent a picture to my mom to make sure that they looked like they fit. She agreed, so I officially bought my first pair of size 8 jeans! If you had told me in August of last year that a year from then I would be wearing a size 8 jeans, I would have told you were smoking something. Single digit sizing always seemed like such an unobtainable thing, but here I am! I have included a picture of me on my wedding day side by side with the picture of me in my new size 8 jeans! I am carrying my weight a little differently this time, so even though I look smaller in some places now, I have more belly than I did then. Like I said earlier though, reaching these milestones has given me a new rejuvenation for my weight loss. I am going to kick it up a gear yet again and get this last little bit off!

Thanks for reading,

Sarah

Running with a Partner

Have you ever set your alarm clock extra early with every intention of getting up in the morning and knocking out your workout early? Well I have, and it usually ends up with me hitting the snooze button and cramming in my workout after work. I have seen so many tips online that talk about treating your workouts like an appointment that you can't miss. There is only one problem with that. If I miss an appointment that I set with myself, then I am the only person that it is affecting. I have a solution though, so don't worry. Find a workout buddy! If you plan to meet with a friend for an early morning workout, you are far more likely to force yourself out if bed to get going. It is embarrassing to have to cancel a workout with a friend, especially if you don't have a good reason. No, an extra hour of sleep is not a good enough reason to bail out on a friend. This past week, I tried this tactic. I have a co-worker named Ashley who is interested in running the color-run with me in October. She is a dancer (although she would argue with me about that) so she is in good shape, but she has not ran in a long time. She asked if I wouldn't mind running with her a couple of times per week in order to get her ready for the race. We decided that Tuesdays and Thursdays work best for both of our schedules. Tuesday at 5:30 am when my alarm went off, there was no inner struggle. I knew that if I didn't go, I would leave Ashley hanging. I got right up, got my workout gear on, and ran out the door. We met up at 6:00 am and headed to the track. I am on week 5 of couch to 5k, which starts out with a five minute warm up walk. I started to walk right out onto the track, and she stopped me and said, "Aren't we going to stretch?" I am really glad she suggested that, because my calves were not nearly as tight afterwards as they usually are. I was really proud of Ashley. For not having ran in a while, she did awesome. She kept up with me and did all of the running intervals except for one. There is no way that I could have done that on day one, so major props to her. We took a picture after our run so that I could post it with this blogpost, but I look absolutely horrendous in it so I am going to keep that little gem to myself. I do hope that you will consider working out with a friend though. I understand that it makes some people uncomfortable. I used to HATE working out with anybody. I could not keep up and it embarrassed me, but if you can get past the competition aspect the benefits truly are amazing. I know that on Monday and Wednesday nights I have to go to bed early, because now I really do have an appointment that I can't miss!

Belly Fat Blues

I am getting to the point in my weight loss that toning up is becoming my main focus, well that and losing this darn belly fat! I do realize that I have lost several inches in my belly, but that is the area that I seem to be losing the slowest. I have been doing a lot of research this about belly fat, and I have come to the conclusion that the gym alone is not going to do it for me. I currently eat pretty darn well, and I always stay within my calories. However, after much research I have realized that I need to cut the sugar down to practically none, at least until I am happy with my tummy. Let me just say, when I am talking about sugar I am not talking about candy bars and ice cream. I cut that stuff out a long time ago. I do however eat lots of fruit, and I do enjoy a bowl of honey nut cheerios a couple of times per week. I need to cut these things out for now and focus on the types of foods that are going to help me shed the pooch. Those foods are going to be good carbs, protein, and good fats. I stress that "good" before carbs and fats because I still have to choose items that are very low in sugar. I need to be consuming foods that are low on the glycemic index, which would be foods that are rated 55 or less. If you have questions about the glycemic index I urge you to do some research, but I will give you a quick rundown. The glycemic index is ultimately used for people with diabetes. They have to have things that are low in sugar or else they risk spiking their blood sugar. The glycemic index gives each food a number, and if a food has a number of 55 or less that means it is very low in sugar. Like I said this particular diet is intended for people with diabetes, but it is also great for people who are trying to fight belly fat in particular. Trust me when I say that I will not be cutting out fruit for ever, and I probably won't be cutting it out completely even now. I love fruit, and it is very good for you so this is just a temporary thing. I looked through the glycemic index and made a list of breakfast and lunch ideas. I normally take a frozen dinner for lunch, but since I can't control the ingredients that are used in store bought meals, I made my own this week. I cooked up all of my meals for the week tonight and packaged them for each day. I have about a 3 oz serving of protein (mostly chicken), some type of legume (chickpeas or black eyed peas), and a vegetable (green pepper). I am looking forward to my lunches this week, because I know exactly what is inside them. I am really hoping that with this new way of eating along with adding ab focused exercises that I can get rid of this belly fat once and for all!

Thanks for reading,
Sarah

Vacation Victory

As I mentioned in my last post, I just got back from vacation. I went into this vacation with LOTS of preparation, since vacation binging is what got me off track last year. As a quick refresher, last January I had started losing weight, by March I had lost right at 20 lbs which is also right around the time that we were heading out of town for a weekend with friends. I wanted to be able to enjoy the weekend, so I decided to throw the rule book out for three days. How much damage could I possibly do in three days right? Well, I enjoyed my weekend and did not restrict myself in any way. The only problem was, when I got home I never picked the rulebook back up. I gave up, and over the course of the next twelve months I gained every pound back. On March 22, 2013 I hit my "rock bottom" when my husband and I were grocery shopping. I was picking up a 35 lb bucket of cat litter and when I went to swing the bucket into the cart, I pinched the fat from my stomach against the cart. It hurt physically, but it hurt so much more mentally. Every pound I had gained in the past 5 years felt like it was sitting on my shoulders. I had enough, and I went home and started my blog that night. That was 150 days ago today, and I have yet to "fall off the wagon". I have not given myself one cheat day to throw out the rulebook. I have not exceeded my calorie count a single day in 150 days. That is a huge accomplishment for me, and I knew that I wash't going to give up on that in order to throw out the rulebook on this vacation. So as I said, I went into this vacation with lots of preparation, and that is what I want to talk about today. We were driving from Tennessee to Michigan which takes around 10 hours. On a 10 hour road trip, you are bound to encounter some fast food. So about a week before we left, I went to every fast food website I could think of and studied their nutritional guides. I found at least 3 options at each restaurant, and made a list on my phone for each one. That way, I knew that wherever we went, I had a game plan going in. Obviously fast food is not ideal, but from time to time there will be no other option. It is best to know exactly what you are going to be getting before you get there, so that you are not playing a guessing game. That was the first way that I prepared, and the second was by planning my workouts. I packed plenty of workout gear, and I worked out 6 days out of the 7 that we were there, which is normal for me because I take one rest day every week. On Saturday, even though we were in the car for 10 hours, as soon as we got there I changed into my workout gear and did Insanity. I alternated Insanity and Couch to 5K every other day, and used Tuesday as my rest day since that was our busiest day. On Wednesday I asked Brandon's cousin Heather if she would mind going for a run with me. Heather is very athletic, she was on the Michigan State rowing team for four years, and she just accepted a position as a head coach of a local high school volleyball team. She of course agreed to go with me, even though I told her that I was still running in intervals. We ran and walked in intervals to a state park that was a mile from where we were staying. I hated feeling like I was holding Heather back, even though she did absolutely nothing to make me feel that way, it was all in my head. I decided that I was going to run the whole way back, and I did! Having a partner there kept me going, and I ran the whole mile back. I wasn't sure if I would make it, but I did. It just lets you know what your body can do when you let your mind get out of the way.

Maintaining weight on vacation is difficult, but I decided I wanted to up the difficulty level and actually lose weight while we were on our trip. I weighed myself the morning that we left and I weighed 173.8. I worked really hard while we were gone, and it paid off because when we got home I weighed in at 172.8. I lost exactly one pound, and I am proud of that! I don't to give you the wrong idea and make you think that you can't enjoy vacation. I enjoyed a s'more by the campfire, and treated myself to frozen yogurt twice. On the days that I enjoyed a treat, I just made sure that I left room for that in my calories. Anyway, I am sure that I am boring you by now but I hope that these tips are helpful if you are going on vacation soon. Plan ahead for unavoidable fast food and plan your workouts!

Thanks for reading,
Sarah

Weigh In Number 6!

I'm back! I hadn't intentionally taken a break from blogging, but we have had a wedding and vacation and it just sort of happened. I had intended to blog during vacation to let you know I stayed on track, but my there is no internet at my father-in-law's house so that did not happen. I will be doing a blogpost later this week going over what I did on vacation in order to still lose weight. That is right...I still lost a pound even while I was on vacation, but I will go over that in detail later this week. Now, it is weigh in and measurements time! Last time I weighed in at 180.0 lbs, and this morning I weighed in at 172.4 lbs. That is a 7.6 lb loss since my last weigh in, and that brings my total weight loss to 47 lbs. I am so close to that 50 lb mark! I am sure that I will reach that by my next weigh in! Now on to the measurements.


                             Starting                              Last Weigh In                                      Current


Thighs:                   28                                              23                                                      22


Arms:                    14.5                                    L-12 R-12.25                                     L-11.5 R-12


Neck:                     13.5                                          12.25                                                   12


Belly:                      40                                              35                                                      34


Waist:                   35.5                                            29                                                       29


Chest:                    43                                              38                                                       37


Hips:                     44                                               39                                                      37.5


Butt:                     47                                              40.5                                                     40


                            Inches This Weigh In: 7              Total Inches: 59.5

I miss calculated my inches last weigh in because I was only calculating for one thigh, but these calculations are correct.  I have lost 59.5 inches over my whole body! That is a lot of inches. I am pleased with the 7 inches that I got for this weigh in as well. I know that since I don't have as much left to lose that the numbers in these weigh ins are going to start being smaller. I will take these big numbers as long as I can!

Thanks for reading,
Sarah

Goodbye Shin Splints!

Sorry for the lack of blogging activity this week. The main thing that I wanted to talk about was my new compression sleeves, but in order to give a legitimate opinion I wanted to run in them a couple of times first. At first, I was not so sure. The first time I ran in them I felt like my shins hurt worse than they ever had. However, normally after a run my shins kill me for hours and I have to ice them at night. When I took the compression sleeves off that night, my shins felt fine. I decided to give them another try since my shins felt so much better after my workout the first time. Each time I ran with them I had less and less pain, and zero pain afterwards. I did couch to 5k week 3 - day one today, and I can honestly say that I had ZERO pain in my shins. It is so nice to be able to run without the pain constantly begging me to stop. Now when I run, I can concentrate on running and keeping my breath, and building my stamina. I am finding that there are not many things that can compare to the high you feel after a good run. I feel so much adrenaline and such a sense of productivity when I am finished.

I am still doing Insanity as well. This week is my recovery week, so I am doing the Core Cardio and Balance video all week. I am enjoying the lighter pace this week, but I know that next week starts the Max Interval Training. I am mentally trying to prepare myself for that as I write this. I have been wearing my compression sleeves for my Insanity workouts as well, and I can notice a huge difference during the jumping portions. I could not have picked a better time either, since I have a feeling that the next 30 days of Insanity are going to kick my butt enough as it is! If you have had any issues whatsoever with shin splints, I highly recommend that you order a pair of compression sleeves. Give it a couple of tries before you rule them out. I have included a picture of the particular sleeves that I purchased. I am not affiliated with the company in any way, but their prices were the most reasonable that I found. Check them out if you like!

Thanks for reading,
Sarah

It Is Time.

For the past week or two everyday when I am getting ready for work, I stand and look in my closet searching for something that will fit me. Let me start off by saying that I am aware that I could have far worse problems on my hands. I have been at the other end of that spectrum with everything being too small instead of too big. That being said, it is still a current frustration in my life. I am no where near done, so I don't want to go out and spend a bunch of money on clothes that won'f fit me in two months.  I did finally have to go out and buy some necessities like jeans, shorts, and work pants, but I was very frugal with what I bought. Anyway, Saturday I was looking in my closet for about five minutes and decided that it was silly that I was leaving so many things taking up room in my closet that I will never be able to wear again. I have clothes that I can make work even if they are baggy, but there are some that are just way too big to even try. So I went on a rampage, and started trying things on and bagging them up. I have to say it is just as emotional trying on and purging clothes that are too big as it is trying on and purging clothes that are too tight. The only difference was, instead of sighing, throwing clothes around and getting depressed about yet another pair of jeans that I couldn't even get past my thighs; I was smiling and laughing when my jeans were falling to the floor as soon as I pulled them up. I did have some difficulty with some items, but that was only because I had paid good money for them and only worn them a couple of times. I felt like I was throwing away money, but then I thought about all the money that I have not spent on fast food in the past five months. I assure that the amount of money that I have saved by cutting food like that out far outweighs the amount of money that I spent on those clothes. Now I can donate these clothes, and hopefully someone can get some good use out of them. With the money that I am saving by not eating fast food on my lunch everyday, I am going to be setting it aside for a new wardrobe when the time comes. That wardrobe will mean so much more to me knowing that I paid for it by cutting out a habit that was slowly killing me. I have sent countless bags of clothes that were too small for me to Goodwill, but I cannot explain the happiness I feel by donating this particular bag. It is like I am handing them all of the weight that I have lost and the burden that has been on my shoulders for far too long. I am getting rid of more than just a bag of clothes, I am getting rid of the old me.

Thanks for reading,
Sarah

Couch to 5K

Last week I added couch to 5K to my workout regimen, and it has been nice to be running again. It is an eight week program that is supposed to help train you to be able to run a 5K with no walking. I completed Day 1 of Week 2 today which consisted of a 5 minute brisk walk warm up, a minute and a half of running, followed by two minutes of walking alternated until reaching 25 minutes. After finishing that, the workout is completed with a 5 minute brisk walk cool down. I have been having some issues with my shins, but none at all with my knees which is great. I have been icing my shins every night, and I have ordered some compression sleeves to wear on them while running. I have heard great reviews, but I will let you know my opinion after running in them a few times. Saturday will mark the end of my first month of insanity, and next week will be my recovery week. It is a week of lighter exercise to get your body ready for the second month which is what they call Max Interval Training. All of the workouts are intensified in the second month, so I have my work cut out for me. Its hard to believe that I am already almost hallway done with the Insanity program. I have been very pleased, especially after seeing my measurements at my last weigh in. Today's post is a a short one, but that is pretty much all that is going on with the workouts at the moment. Tomorrow is casual Friday at work, so I am excited to bust out my new jeans (size 10!) and enjoy pants that fit for the first time in several weeks!

Thanks for reading,
Sarah

Weigh In Number 5

So it is that time again...weigh in time. These weigh ins seem to be coming faster and faster here lately. Right before my last weigh in I hit a bit of a plateau, so I wasn't thrilled about my results last time. This week has made up for that in weight and measurements. Three weeks ago I weighed in at 187.6, and today I weighed in at 180.0. I was really hoping to see the 170's this weigh in, but I am very pleased with a 7.6 lb weight loss for a three week period. Now onto the really good part, the measurements!


                                      Starting                            Last Weigh In                          Current

Thighs:                              28                                         23.75                                      23 (each)


Arms:                               14.5                                R- 13, L- 13.5                       R-12, L- 12.25


Neck:                                13.5                                          13                                       12.25


Belly:                                  40                                           36                                         35


Waist:                               35.5                                        31.5                                        29


Chest:                                43                                           39                                          38


Hips:                                  44                                          40.5                                        39


Butt:                                  47                                          42.5                                       40.5

                               
                      Inches This Weigh In: 12.5                    Total Inches: 45 

I am super pleased with my measurement results this week! I knew the inches were going down, but I did not realize how much. A friend of ours is getting married in a little less than a month, so I ordered my dress in a 10 thinking that I would be that size by the time the wedding rolled around. Well it came in, and it is already just a tad big! I had to order an 8! Um, I don't know if you read that correctly but I had to order an 8! I am sure that it will be a little tight when I first get it but I am thinking that it will fit just right by the time that the wedding rolls around. Anyway that is it for now! I hope you all have a great week!

Thanks for reading,
Sarah

I've missed running!

As you will know if you have been reading my blog since the beginning, my original goal in all of this besides the obvious weight loss was to be able to run a 5k in under 40 minutes. In the first couple of weeks I had some issues with my knees that limited me to the elliptical, so running got put on the back burner. I love doing insanity, but I have also missed being in the gym and as weird as it sounds, I have missed running. I feel such a rush of accomplishment after I run, and I love that feeling. My friends and I are doing the Color Run in October, so I figured that it is time for me to get serious about running again. I know that my knees have gotten stronger, and having the extra weight off has been helping too.  I know that because of my knees I am never going to be able to be an avid runner, but completing a 5k without walking at all is a bucket list item for me. I will be checking that off my bucket list on October 13 of this year. I decided to start it out slow since it has been a while since I last ran, so I downloaded the couch to 5k app on my phone and decided to start there. I knew that I had really built up my stamina from Insanity and working out in general, but I didn't realize how much. The first day of couch to 5k was a breeze for me. I was shocked at how easily I was able to get through that first run. You might think that I would be tempted to skip ahead a few weeks, so that I was really challenging myself, but I am going to stick to the program as is. I really want to do this right, and I think the best way to do that is to stick to the workouts as scheduled. I will still be doing insanity. The couch to 5k program is only 3 days a week, so I am fairly confident that I can double up workouts three days a week. If my body starts telling me otherwise, I will listen but I think I will be fine. It feels good to be running again, and I can't wait to reach my goal of running a 5k in October!

Time for new jeans again!

When I first started this weight loss journey on March 22, 2013 I was wearing a size 18 in jeans. Sometimes I could squeeze into 16's but, it was very uncomfortable. I am now in a size 12 jeans, but it looks like I am going to have to go shopping for some new jeans on payday because even my 12's are too big now! I have been trying to wear my clothes that are too big as long as possible because I don't want to have to buy tons of transitional clothes that I won't be able to wear for very long, but with jeans that is difficult. My 12's look are big even when I first get them out of the dryer, but they look decent at that point. After wearing them for a couple of hours though, I look like I have diaper butt. My husband is making me buy some new dress pants for work as well, he says the ones I wear right now look like clown pants. As much as I hate spending money on clothes that I will only be able to wear for a month or two, seeing that my clothes are too big on me makes me very happy. It is very tangible evidence that my weight really is coming off. So that is exciting!

In other news, I want to switch to a topic that is a little more sensitive. Stretch marks. They are often a nasty little thing that overweight people have to deal with. I never thought that my stretch marks were very bad, until I started losing weight. The smaller I get, the more evident my stretch marks become. I had a really bad day this week when I looked in the mirror and realized how the stretch marks on my stomach looked. I had pictured that when I got down to my goal weight that I would have a nice tight tummy and be able to wear a bikini. I had a real pity party and cried when I showed my husband. He told me that they weren't as evident as I was thinking, and told me that even if I had a flat tummy with a few stretch marks on them that I would still be beautiful. I decided that instead of just feeling sorry for myself that I should try to do what I could about it. I did some research online, and after reading LOTS of reviews I decided to purchase Mederma Stretch Marks Therapy. I am not going to lie, it is a little pricey at $40 for a 5.6oz bottle, but the reviews were too good to ignore. The color of my stretch marks is not what I am worried about. Mine are white, but since I am SUPER pale they blend in with my skin pretty well. As I have lost weight, the texture of my stretch marks have changed, and that is why they are more noticeable now. That is why I picked this particular treatment. It is supposed to be really good about making the stretch marks smoother. It is a twelve week process and I am only on my 4th day, but I have high hopes for it. I will definitely be updating you with the progress as I go. In the end, if I still have some unsightly stretch marks I know that I will not be alone. Tons of women (and men) have to deal with stretch marks. At least I will always have a physical reminder to never let myself become over weight again. I hope that everyone has a great week, start your Monday off right!

Thanks for reading,
Sarah

Fit Test Results

Yesterday was my second Fit Test for Insanity. If you are not familiar with the program, you do a Fit Test on day 1 and then again every two weeks after that. The point is to track your progress and improvement throughout the program. I had been working out heavily for 12 weeks before I started Insanity, so I was really surprised how out of shape I felt on day one. I honestly questioned if I would be able to complete the program. The workout still kicks my butt, and I will be perfectly honest with you, I still have to hit pause to break every now and again. I am going to do a chart similar to how I show my weigh ins to show you the improvements that I have made with insanity. So here are the results so far...


                                                       Day 1                                     Week 2

Switch Kicks                                   58                                             66 


Power Jacks                                   24                                             30


Power Knees                                  53                                             77


Power Jumps                                 9                                               13


Globe Jumps                                 4                                                 8


Suicide Jumps                              7                                                 9


Push Up Jacks                             3                                                 9


Plank Knee Raises                     24                                               35


So as you can see, I improved my numbers in every single category. I was thrilled with those results. I can tell that I have much more stamina during the workouts. In the beginning, I had to break in the warm up alone. Now I can get through the warm up and a significant chunk of each video before having to break. If you have thought about doing Insanity, I would highly recommend it. If you are doing Insanity stick with it! If you do have to break, pause the video instead of just letting it run. It is less than a 45 minute workout, so you don't want to lose that precious time. Just pause the video, catch your breath, massage your muscles and get right back into it! As Sean T would say, dig deeper!   

Over half-way there!

My fourth official weigh in was last Saturday, but because I had hit a bit of a plateau the week before I wanted to keep a closer eye between weigh ins. I decided to weigh yesterday so that I could see if I needed to make any changes to what I am doing. I am happy to report that I weighed in at 183, which means.....I AM OVER HALF-WAY TO MY GOAL!! I want to lose 70 lbs total, and being at 183 puts me at 36 lbs down meaning that I am one pound past the half-way mark! That also means that I am down 3 lbs for the week, so I think it is safe to say that Insanity is working. This first half of my weight loss journey has flown by. I am aware that the second half of this journey will be more difficult than the first, but I know that it is going to fly by as well. I am prepared to fight the obstacles ahead of me. I know that the last little bit of weight is the hardest to shed. I am aware that achieving a flat stomach is no easy task, but I am prepared for what lies ahead. I just have to stay focused and keep my eyes on the end result.

Tomorrow is the Fit Test day for Insanity. The first Fit Test was on day one, so you have to do another one when you hit the two week mark to see how you have improved. I am looking forward to see if I have improved on my results from day one. I definitely feel like I have more stamina than I did in the beginning, so we will see. I think that even on day 60 Insanity will still kick my butt! I hope that you all have a great week and as always, start your monday out on a positive note!